“A textbook, you say. Of magic?”

“Yes. Something sophisticated. If it contains theories and concepts of the laws of mana, that would be great.”

“Hmm. I’ll go take a look.”

The merchant walked over to the back of the room, and the sound of him rummaging through boxes could be heard from where Shaden stood.

Shaden was having problems finding the perfect book. There were too many stores to choose from, and being a newcomer to the city, he wasn’t sure where to begin. Eilae had discovered her desired book within an hour in some way. He really should have asked how.

He had come to the biggest bookstore he could spot. But upon entering it, it resembled a warehouse more, with all of the books neatly packaged and set apart in small and large groups upon various shelves. They each were labeled with titles foreign to Shaden.

The merchant returned to Shaden with a thin packet in his hand.

“Little boy. Have you taken courses in elementary magic?” he asked.

“No.”

“I thought so too.”

“How could you tell?”

“Mages-in-training wear these badges on their cloaks, you see. You have neither of them. You must be new here.”

Shaden had indeed seen numerous cloaked figures roaming the streets of the city. They had all had books within their arms.

“I came here to learn about magic.”

“Many do. I’d suggest that you visit and enroll at the Tower of Magic if you possess the price. You certainly look like a noble.”

The man handed Shaden the packet, which was very light.

“A Guide to Magic,” read Shaden. He had seen the book before, back when he was at Skotos. It had been eye-opening to him back then, but he had soon realized that everything had been explained too easily.

“This is a book for children,” said Shaden.

The merchant shrugged. “As I see it, you’re a child. Sorry boy, but all the thick books are required for adult use. This isn’t a simple bookstore.”

Shaden handed the package back to the man.

“Do you know anywhere else where they might have books available? Like a kind of library?”

“You will have to visit the Tower for that. Or the Academium.”

After saying thanks to the merchant, Shaden stepped out into the streets. It was less windy due to the buildings, but the clouds still loomed over the sky, becoming brighter as the neared the city’s core.

Shaden wished he could access the Great Library. He could find anything he wanted there.

“Someday, I’m going to get in,” he vowed.

But for now, he’d have to rely on his friend’s information-gathering prowess.

〄 〄 〄

“You want me to accompany you?” asked Eilae.

“Or tell me how you found your book so quickly,” said Shaden. “I took a short walk around the place, but I couldn’t find the book I wanted.”

Eilae had been practicing the poison nullification magic she had been taught the day before in her room. Instead of ingesting it, she had crumbled the samples into power and had dispersed them in water, using her magic on the container instead. Afterwards, she would drink it as a final test.

Practice was always important, she had said. It was easy to forget what you had learned. Shaden agreed completely.

“Our family has connections,” she told him. “I simply found them within the city. Why not ask the tutor for help?”

“She’s…busy. She had work to do.”

“I suppose I have no choice but to help. I was just running low on mana. A short walk will replenish it.”

Putting her equipment down (which she probably had retrieved from her suitcase), she got up from her chair.

“Wait outside. I’ll get dressed.”

“Thanks, Eilae.”

After a few short minutes, she emerged out of the room in a baggy black dress that hung down slightly below her knees. She had comfortable sandals on her feet, something she had bought along their time in the north.

“Let’s go,” she said. “I’ll lead the way.”

〄 〄 〄

“Our family has a broad variety of connections,” Eilae explained. “From weapons trading to food, but information is the most crucial. You could say we have an agent within every city.”

“That’s incredible.”

“Don’t tell it to anyone. I’m only telling you since you’re a Limen.”

“So telling me is allowed?”

“There’s no keeping secrets from your family. I thought you were aware.”

“No, first time I’ve heard of it.”

“Now you know.”

They passed through the streets, turning left and right, left and right.

“There was a small spell I was taught before departing,” she said. “My father told me it would assist me in my travels.”

“Locating magic, right?”

She nodded. “Yes, locating magic.”

Shaden had sensed minuscule pulses of mana going out from Eilae’s head, which was probably it. He couldn’t tell where it was headed towards, however.

“Once I send the signal, the agent signals me back. That is how I was able to find the location. Since our family is familiar with poisons, finding the book was a simple task. We’re here.”

They stopped in front of a building that blended in well with its surroundings—it looked ordinary. At a glance, it was a shop that sold exquisite pens and writing utensils. The tools were on display beyond the window.

The bell dinged once when Eilae pushed the door open to enter. It had a clear sound that rang throughout the room.

A man was waiting for them right as they entered. He stood before the door, adorned with a tight-fitting suit with various embroidery running down the middle and the sides. His brown hair and beard were neatly trimmed to be short like a coconut. On his right ear was two small rings, one silver, one black. He had a soft, calculating smile.

“My young lady,” he said, bowing slightly. “What brings you here again?”

“My companion requires a book,” she said, motioning Shaden to move up. “He will tell you the details.”

The merchant “Perhaps this young man is your attendant?”

“He is nothing of the sort, and you need not know.”

The man nodded. His sharp eyes then turned towards Shaden, quickly inspecting him from head to toe.

“Name your request, young master.”

Shaden cleared his throat. No one had called him young master before. It was probably a gesture of respect, but it felt weird for someone older than him to call him master.

“I need a book on the theories of magic. Something advanced.”

“You make a vague request. There are many branches in magic. Healing, the elements, crystals, destruction, food, curses, magic circles—”

“Something with experiments,” Shaden quickly added. “Experiments that can be done at home. And knowledge about the basic laws of mana and magic.”

“The basic…laws?”

“Are there any books on primitive experiments? As in, how mana was discovered, how it was first used, and what makes spells work.”

Shaden wanted to replicate magic in Demund’s world, but chanting, imagining, even simply using telekinesis—none of it had worked. He wanted to know why magic worked, and how to recreate in the waking world.

“Perhaps you’re looking for a history of magic. But why experiments?”

“I want to learn how magic works. Why it works.”

The man placed his palms together, his fingers moving in a rhythmic motion like a worm. His lips pursed a little, and his eyes closed as his mind organized his thoughts for him.

“……Aha,” he said in a few seconds. “I believe I know what you wish for. But it will take some time. Will you return tonight after dinner?”

“Yes. That will work.”

“Excellent. I expect the payment to be around one gold coin and twenty silver.”

Shaden felt like he had got struck in the head with a bat. The price was much greater than he had imagined. But keeping a poker face, and trusting Eilae’s connections, he reached into his wallet and fetched one small gold coin and two large silver coins. The man took it, bit them, and nodded in satisfaction.

“Do you require anything else?”

“No. That will be it,” stated Eilae. “Let’s go, Shaden.”

Eilae turned back and exited the door. The agent made a polite bowing gesture, which Shaden returned. He followed Eilae out of the store as the door swung shut behind him.

They were out on the grey roads again. The weather was warm, and the breeze felt nice on the skin. Eilae’s untied hair fluttered a little from the wind, shining under the sun. She hadn’t worn her hat today.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“I didn’t expect it to be so expensive,” Shaden commented after he was walking by Eilae’s side.

“He’s a professional. The harder the book is to obtain, the more expensive it is.” She said it like it was natural. “Your topic…are you planning on learning about origin magic?”

“Origin magic?”

“The creation of magic. Maybe you’re trying to develop a spell by yourself.”

“Oh. No, it’s not like that. Wait. Maybe it is.”

Creating magic? Hadn’t he done that before?

Well, he was trying to create magic in the waking world, so in a sense, Eilae was correct. If magic didn’t work, he at least wanted to use mana to cause a reaction.

“Creating a new spell is probably impossible for you to do,” said Eilae. “You don’t have the right equipment, nor the personnel to assist you.”

“About that…”

Shaden let out a weak laugh, to which Eilae raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t tell me…you already have?”

“Hmm…”

Did his fireball count as a new spell? He hadn’t chanted it, after all.

“Do fireballs exist in this world? Fireballs that explode?”

“Yes.”

“Then I guess not.”

Eilae’s expression turned even more puzzled.

“You’re a strange one.”

“You’re strange too. What kind of girl says, ‘You’re a strange one?’ It sounds too old fashioned.”

There was a moment of silence. Eilae was suddenly quiet. Noticing an ominous air forming by his side, he looked to his companion and saw the slight scowl on her face.

“I was taught to speak this way,” she snapped, her face a mixture of a pout and a deep frown. “It is what I am used to. I’d say your way of speaking is childish and unrefined.”

Her irritation suddenly vanished like smoke, and she gave Shaden a sweet smile.

“But I won’t say that, because I am older than you and much more cultured. I understand your shortcomings.”

And she walked away.

In truth, the young girl was feeling a little inferior to the talented younger boy. As someone older, she had been instructed by her family to influence the boy with her charms…but it was she who was being suppressed by Shaden’s unbelievable feats of magic.

She was much more talented in other matters, of course. But she loved magic, which Shaden excelled at. She was a little jealous of him, and now that they were more familiar with each other, her emotions leaked out more often than she liked.

Every noble has a superiority complex to an extent. It had come out of her a little. She was still a child, after all.

To Shaden, Eilae’s words were entertaining. She felt much more real than she did when he had first met her, and he liked it.

He’d have to be careful with his words, however. He couldn’t go overboard with his jokes.

Oblivious of the fact that Eilae’s actions just now had been purposefully exaggerated, he scratched his head and ran to catch up with Eilae.

〄 〄 〄

Finally.

The books he wanted were here, right on top of his desk. They were four in total, and the titles read History of Magic I, A Series of Discoveries, The Language Vol I, and finally, Spellcraft Vol I.

History of Magic looked relatively new compared to the other texts, which looked yellow and a little wrinkly from age. The agent had specifically told him that “They were the third or second copies of the original text,” meaning that their contents hadn’t been altered for public use.

Altered for public use. Something sounded fishy about that. The public was knowledgeable about magic. Many could use basic chants. So why would the texts be altered?

He looked at the small page that the agent had provided him. History of Magic I would help supplement his lack of background knowledge. It was listed as optional, but necessary if he wanted to obtain a greater understanding of the subject matter.

He’d begin with it. A little history wasn’t so bad, and the book was of moderate size. Maybe around two hundred pages or more.

He flipped to the first page and began to absorb the words into his mind. He had seldom read for long periods as Shaden, and it felt as if Demund was constantly circulating. There was a certain clearness of mind even though he did not circulate. Perhaps his constant practice had caused his mana within him to flow strongly even when he wasn’t intending it.

He had heard that masters of martial arts could circulate while unconscious. Maybe this was it. Well, his flow was still very weak. He was still young.

“In the abyss that was of turbulent magic and curses, of poison and destruction, emerged order that was of the gods…”

The gods? From what he knew, many people believed that magic came from the gods. He hadn’t expected a historical book, however, to mention them. They were legends, weren’t they? Did they really exist?

He continued to read. The more he read, the greater his puzzlement grew, as did his thirst for answers.

A sudden dull banging interrupted his thoughts. He looked up from the book.

The sound was coming from next door, to his right.

“Eilae?”

Quiet. The noise had vanished.

Shaden shot up from his chair and dashed out of the room, throwing the door open with a thud. Eilae’s door was right next to him, which he knocked his hand on.

Something had felt wrong.

“Eilae? Eilae!”

He was about to yank the door open when it swung inwards, almost tripping him over. He steadied himself on the doorframe and looked inside.

There was a certain, nasty and spicy odor that filled his nose. He instinctively stopped breathing and squinted his eyes.

Eilae was beyond the door with a handkerchief over her nose and mouth, slightly bent over.

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she muttered through muffled breaths. “……… - Wind.”

Shaden’s clothes flapped as the air was vacuumed out through Eilae’s open window. With the fresh air filling the room, Eilae removed her cloth from her face and took in a deep breath. Her cheeks were red, and she looked exhausted, sweat running down her forehead and neck.

“Are you…”

Shaden paused.

“I think you should sit down first,” he suggested. “You look tired.”

“I certainly am,” she sighed. “I almost killed myself.”

“You—”

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry for interrupting you. It won’t happen again.”

Giving Shaden a small nod, Eilae proceeded to swing the door shut on him.

“Wait, what do you mean—”

“Goodbye.”

There was a loud crack as the door crunched Shaden’s extended fingers between itself and the doorframe.

“……!!!”

He didn’t scream. He had been conditioned not to scream. It would only attract unnecessary attention. That did not mean that the pain was mitigated, and he fell on the floor on his knees, taking sharp intakes of breaths to control himself.

“Uuuuu……”

He groaned while grasping his hand with his unhurt hand. He activated healing magic on himself instinctively—

“I’m so sorry!”

Eilae fell on the floor next to Shaden, unsure of what to do. She was flustered, and worry began to fill her face.

“I didn’t mean to—I was—if there is anything I can do—”

Broken sentences gushed out from her mouth in streams. Her arms were in the air, unsure of their positions like lost birds without direction.

“I will compensate this—”

Shaden’s pain had already subsided, and he took a good look at Eilae’s face. It was red. He reached out and touched her forehead with his hand.

It was burning.

“Eilae, hush.”

Eilae closed her mouth and sat still, her eyes trembling like feathers.

“You have a fever.”

Lytha hadn’t returned to the building after dinner. She hated staying within cramped spaces, which made her frequent walks and shopping around the city. Naturally, the responsibly of everything fell onto Shaden’s hands. He had never thought that anything would happen though.

“I feel fine—”

“No, you don’t. There’s something seriously wrong about you. Go lie on the bed.”

He got up and helped Eilae to her feet. She was shivering now, and she stumbled a little while walking to her bed. She fell on the mattress and face upwards with a hand on her head. Her breaths had deepened.

Shaden quickly looked around the room. He had a hunch as to what might have caused this—

His eyes fell on a small set of tools laid out on Eilae’s table. There were various leaves and a small, glass bottle that contained a kind of dark liquid.

Leaving Eilae on the bed, he went to the table, picked up the bottle, and took a sniff.

Poison. Judging by the state of the samples and equipment around the table, it was likely a concentrated mixture that Eilae had concocted.

“Ah…oh shoot.”

He looked over at Eilae, who seemed to be dying increasingly.

Cursing his low observation skills, he quickly ran to the bed and placed his hand over Eilae’s body.

“Cure!”

Green light immediately burst forward over Eilae like a flood, covering her entire body in its luminance. It seeped into her, making her skin glow like moonlight for a few seconds. When the light died down, Eilae was blinking at the ceiling, her fever gone and her cheeks less red.

“I thought I cured myself.”

“Apparently, you didn’t.”

“I felt fine.”

Shaden picked up a black, vine-like sample from the table and dangled in in the air.

“Witch’s Lure. It has anesthetic properties that make it kill you without you knowing it. Did you forget?”

“No. But I genuinely felt fine. I thought…I succeeded.”

“I don’t think you should have mixed—?”

His voice trailed off. Eilae’s eyes were on the brink of tears.

“I can’t do anything by myself.”

“Wait—”

She didn’t scream, or wail, or bawl. But the tears gushed out from her eyes, tiny beads of liquid falling to the bed below her in droplets of rain.

“I would have died if it wasn’t for you. I would have died because I—failed.”

She tried to wipe her tears off with her hands. She tried to cover her face with her hands. As her voice was under her control, she did not whimper, but the tears continued to pour out.

The resulting consequence was that the room was very silent, with only the small sounds of Eilae’s hands brushing against her skin filling the vast, empty air of the room.

The only time Shaden had seen a girl cry was when his sister had fallen on her knees, scraping them. He wasn’t sure of the actions he had to take. His anxiety grew, and he too stood there silently in awkwardness.

As if. He had to do something. The fact that Eilae was a girl below the age of ten left him sometimes.

But what?

He frantically looked around while he formulated the necessary words in his head.

“You’re alive!” Shaden accidentally said with a squeak. He cleared his throat. “Everyone makes mistakes.”

Eilae didn’t say anything. Her hands were still covering her eyes. Shaden’s nervousness multiplied.

He quickly lifted the glass vial of concentrated poison from the table.

“You created this masterpiece. I’d never be able to do that.”

“……it’s simple. You just boil it over some water and remove the impurities.”

Her voice sounded clogged, and the words felt forced. He had said the wrong thing.

Oh gosh.

Shaden inched closer to the girl.

“You didn’t fail. The poison would have made you faint instantly if you failed. Your magic did work to an extent.”

His words felt empty, even to himself. He was also guessing the lethality of the poison extract. Would it actually have made her faint instantly? He didn’t know.

She was still silent. But her tears had stopped.

“Eilae, what’s the matter?” he said as softly as he could. The tension was making him feel light-headed. “I can help you. But you shouldn’t have ingested the poison alone. You should have told me to drink it first.”

“You were busy, and I interrupted you,” she said. “I am being a burden.”

“No. No, you aren’t. Learning about poisons is fun for me too.”

“Aren’t you busy?”

“We have all day.”

“You looked very excited about your books.”

“Of course! I just received them today.”

“They looked very thick.”

“I can read quickly. Time is not a problem.”

“………could you pass me my napkin?”

Shaden fetched the cloth that had dropped on the floor and place it on Eilae’s extended hand. She took it, turned to the side so that Shaden couldn’t see her face, and dapped her eyes. Finally, she blew her nose.

She got up on the bed and looked up at Shaden.

“I’m…terribly sorry for showing you this,” she said. “I…didn’t mean to.”

“It’s fine. Crying is natural. You don’t have to force yourself not to cry.”

“……I am not.”

“Do you feel better now?”

“……yes.”

She was silent again. Her red, swollen eyes were fixed on Shaden.

“I will…leave, then. Tell me if you need anything.”

He tried his best to look natural as he walked out of the room. With a small click, he shut the door and sighed.

Had he said enough? Had he said the right things? His words had sounded shallow to his ears. She wouldn’t try to poison herself again, would she?

With heavy footsteps, he returned to his room. The walls felt very thin to him at that moment, and he could imagine Eilae sitting on her bed on the other side.

What was she feeling? Her words had been…surprising, in the least. She had her own insecurities to worry about like he had his. She was so young, though…

He fell on his bed.

〄 〄 〄

Shaden couldn’t continue reading that night. He wasn’t in the mood. To clear his mind, he practiced circulating and stretched his muscles as he was taught, tempering them to stay in shape. His mind felt much clearer, and regret began to rise within him.

What if he had answered her in this way? He should have said this instead of that. There were more things he could have said. Maybe he should have been more assertive.

Still, Eilae was a strong girl. It had just been tears, nothing else.

No, that didn’t make sense.

Pushing his thoughts aside, he slept early. It had been portrayed so easily in books. Characters who were completely sure of what to do, who knew the perfect things to say at the optimal time, who could change someone’s heart with just a few sentences…

In the morning, they had a simple breakfast of bread, cheese, and eggs from a local store. Eilae continued on as she had always had, talking naturally with confidence as if nothing had happened. Shaden wondered how she could be so flexible.

A sudden, unexpected thought popped into his head. Had she recovered, or was it just a guise?

His stomach now full, he returned to reading about the history of magic after a short, morning exercise.

“May I join you?” Eilae had asked.

“Sure,” he had replied.

It was just stretching and controlling mana flow in the body, which Eilae seemed to know how to do. They practiced together without uttering a word. At the end of it, Eilae finally came and spoke to him.

“You said I could ask for your help,” she said.

“Any time.”

“That is too vague. I don’t want to…disturb you.”

“Then, how about mornings and evenings then? After breakfast to lunch, then after dinner until bedtime.”

“Is that fine?”

“I’ll only be reading.”

A sudden thought popped into his mind. Eilae probably didn’t like being in her room for so long, right?

“But when I train, will you join me? I need a sparring partner, and our tutor is…you know. Gone all day.”

“I understand. I will join you.”

He had never fought her before. He knew she trained by herself since he felt her mana moving sometimes during their travels.

Friendship was a difficult thing. Getting to know someone closely was a difficult thing. Even during the few months he had traveled with Eilae, he felt like he hadn’t even discovered a tenth of her existence. It was natural, right? Even family members didn’t know everything about each other.

It made him think about Demund’s friends. How much did he truly know about them? They were great people, no doubt.

Time would tell.